Trading Pennies for Pencils: Students Raise Money for a School in Central Asia

Today's struggling economy threatens the value of the penny, but a group of Saint Anselm College students are committed to restoring Abraham Lincoln's battered popularity.

The students of Professor Thomas Fitzpatrick's Social Entrepreneurship class have partnered with 12 local schools to raise money for Pennies for Peace, a program of the Central Asia Institute. The change collected by students will directly fund the construction of a school in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

In addition, a downtown Manchester hair salon, Studio 61, at 61 Elm Street, has agreed to donate $5 to Pennies for Peace for every sale over $15. The offer extends through March 13.

As part of a semester-long project, Professor Fitzpatrick's business class has recruited the compassion of students from a number of elementary and high school schools across southern New Hampshire. Saint Anselm College students have outlined the inspiration and objective of the Pennies for Peace project to the younger students through a sequence of presentations and discussions at the local schools.

"The principals are really excited about the project and the [Saint Anselm College] students are meeting with great success in their outreach," explains Dr. Fitzpatrick, the project's facilitator.

The presentations are designed to bridge a connection between American students and the less fortunate children of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where many remote villages cannot afford to support the $1 per day salary of teachers. During the discussions, Saint Anselm students communicate the power of philanthropy and stress every penny's potential to transform the future of a child across the globe.

Dr. Fitzpatrick says, "We have already raised $1,000 at Merrimack High School and right now with only 3 schools' first-week donations we are already over $2,000."

With the support of local schools, Saint Anselm College hopes to raise over $10,000 for Pennies for Peace. "The penny drive will bring together the residents of Manchester; everyone has a jar full of coins just collecting dust that they can contribute," says Will Combes, a junior business major.

Combes has cultivated a business relationship with David Steer, the owner of Studio 61, a Manchester hair salon. "I told David that I thought it would be a good idea if we could set up penny jars at each barber station" Combes explains.

Steer, impressed by Combes's enthusiasm, agreed to donate $5 from every transaction over $15 to Pennies for Peace. The fundraiser will run through March 13. Steer has also agreed to display a Pennies for Peace donation bin in his shop and has volunteered to hand out fliers to other local business owners.

Saint Anselm College students will have the opportunity to donate spare change to the project beginning in March. Pennies for Peace donation jars will be dispersed throughout campus.

As apart of the campus's penny fever, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and the Meelia Center for Community Service are co-sponsoring "Play Ball for Peace," a campus-wide whiffle ball tournament. The proceeds of the tournament will support the Pennies for Peace initiative. "Play Ball for Peace" will take place Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 9 a.m. in the Carr Center.

The project is expected to culminate with the on-campus appearance of Greg Mortenson, The New York Times bestselling author of Three Cups of Tea. Mortenson founded Pennies for Peace aspiring to reciprocate the kindness demonstrated by the residents of a mountain village in Pakistan. While recovering from illness in the remote Pakistani village, he witnessed school children practicing penmanship in the dirt. After returning to the United States, Mortenson vowed to construct the village a schoolhouse. He solicited the support of over 500 wealthy individuals, but received the most substantial donation from elementary school children.

Presently, there are over 400 rural villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan in desperate need of a new school. "Helping impoverished children couldn't be easier," says Danyelle Postell, a senior business major. She concludes, "Pennies for Peace is perfect [for Saint Anselm College], it symbolizes our generous spirit."

Proof of the power of a penny:

• 1 penny = a pencil
• 15 pennies = 1 notebook
• $20 = one student's school supplies for a year
• $600 = one teacher's annual salary
• $5,000 = support for existing school for one year
• $50,000 = one school building and support for up to five years

Additional information about the program is available on the Pennies for Peace Web site. Photo courtesy of Pennies for Peace.

Photo: SIFE students, Katie Bruce '10 and Christine Connolly '09, presenting Greg Mortenson with check as pledge for money from Pennies for Peace fundraiser.